If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am ‘I’? And if not now, when?Hillel of Babylon

Hillel was a Jewish scholar and rough contemporary of Christ (died around 10 CE) who produced lots of good quotes. The progression from seeming solidity to emptiness reminds me of Nāgārjuna’s short verses.

“Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent” and “…he who understands me finally recognizes them [his propositions] as nonsensical. He must so to speak throw away the ladder, after he has climbed up on it.”

Wittgenstein, whose philosophy I teach, always brings me back to Zen & practice. Compare the quote with Shunryu Suzuki ‘s words, “The most important point is to establish yourself in a true sense, without establishing yourself on delusion… Delusion is necessary, but delusion is not something on which you can establish yourself. It is like a stepladder. Without it you can’t climb up, but you don’t stay on the stepladder.”

Buddhist books, impossible to choose just one! They speak to me in different ways at different times. But Kosho Uchiyama’s ‘Opening the Hand of Thought’ is one I find myself drawn to again, and again. Opening the Hand of Thought. A short instruction – just sit with it.